A dart goes to a good number of online commenters who were quick to blast Effingham County Chief Magistrate Scott Hinson recently for doing his job.

People expressed outrage that Hinson set bail for the wife and brother-in-law of alleged killer Chad Moretz. Bail was set at $25,000 each.

A SWAT team member shot Chad Moretz to death after he held his wife hostage for several hours. Once inside investigators found the partial remains of Charlie Ray, a Chatham County man. Law enforcement officials say Chad Moretz stabbed Ray to death.

Chad’s wife, Kimberly Moretz, and her brother, Kevin Lambert, have been arrested on charges of concealing a death, tampering with evidence and hindering the prosecution and apprehension of a criminal.

We believe there are a number of valid reasons Hinson set bail in this case. We also believe that he set a fair and reasonable sum.

From the heat of some of the comments, you would think Kimberly Moretz and Lambert had been charged with murder. They haven’t. In fact, they are not even suspected of having a hand in the killing of Charlie Ray.

Setting bail isn’t letting these two off the hook. Bail is also not a punishment for a crime. Punishment in this case is for another court, not Hinson’s.

It’s also not Hinson’s place to consider whether the defendants are guilty when setting bail.

If found guilty in the proper court of law of the charges filed against them, we hope they get a deserved punishment.

Georgia law sets forth a number of factors for judges to use in deciding whether to set bail. They include whether the defendant poses a risk of fleeing and not appearing in court, is a threat or danger to any person or the community or poses a risk of committing a felony pending trial.

There is also a little something else people need to keep in mind — it’s called the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

It states that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Hinson chose the right bail amount, apparently, for these two. Hinson also ordered a bail condition not allowing Lambert and Kimberly Moretz to leave Effingham County. If they do, bail is revoked.

Kevin Lambert told law enforcement he is homeless and lived in a tent in Naples, Fla., before coming to Effingham County.

We don’t think either Lambert or his sister have much chance of going anywhere for now.

They don’t appear to have the means to pay their bail in cash, or even use a bail bondsmen. That may change, but as of Tuesday, the two remained in the Effingham County Jail.

Hinson isn’t author of the rules; he’s just done his job in rightly following them.

Now it’s time for patience and to let the rest of the judicial system work.